What is sparkling Water- Is it healthy?

Many people prefer sparkling water to drink instead of normal water while having a meal. There are lots of health benefits to sparkling water although the popular contrary says otherwise. Today, we will break down each and every detail of sparkling water and conclude if it is healthy to drink.

What is sparkling water?

Sparkling or carbonated water is water which contains dissolved carbon dioxide gas. It is also known as carbonated water, club soda, soda water, seltzer water, and fizzy water. This can be either artificially injected under pressure or due to natural geological processes. This water has an effervescent quality due to carbonation which gives out small bubbles. Sparkling water is a good alternative to sugary soft drinks.

What does it contain?

Sparkling water contains carbon dioxide along with other dissolved minerals such as potassium bicarbonate, sodium bicarbonate, sodium citrate, or potassium sulfate. These minerals also occur naturally in mineral water.

What are the effects on the body:

Dental health: Dental health is one of the biggest concerns regarding sparkling water. This is because the teeth are directly exposed to acid. Research on this topic is very little and showed that sparkling water will destroy enamel only if sugar is contained in it and is less damaging than sugary drinks. However, there is a risk of tooth enamel damage (although little) in drinking sparkling water.

Swallowing ability: Sparkling water might help in swallowing for young and older adults.

Appetite: Sparkling water will decrease your appetite if you have it right before your meal. This will also reduce the quantity of food you consume.

Constipation: It is found in some people that sparkling water helps them during constipation. Research also states that sparkling water improves digestion symptoms including stomach pain.

Sparkling water effect on bone health: It is believed that sparkling water is bad for bones because of their high acidity content. However, when conducted research to check the same, there was no bone related issues with sparkling water. Only drinking cola drinks might affect your bone health.

Heart health: Research suggests that sparkling water might improve heart health, decreasing bad-LDL cholesterol, inflammatory markers and blood sugar. However, there are only a few researches to prove this and need more data to conclude this theory.

Is Sparkling water bad or good for us?

There is no bad effect except for the teeth issue.

It is noticed that sparkling water might be a little harmful to dental health. However, you can consume it in small quantities which will even lower the probability of having any bad effect.